ततोऽश्वपालमाहूय यत्नतस्तं निरूप्य च । विसर्जितसभालोको गृहांतरमगान्नृपः
Then, summoning the horse keeper and carefully examining it, the king dismissed the assembly and went to his inner chambers.
अनेकधा समापृष्टो महीपालं रंणांगणे । शस्त्रव्रणकिणश्रेणीभूषणं सत्वसन्निभम्
Asked many times in the royal arena, the king was adorned with a series of sword-wound scars, resembling courage itself.
एकदा मृगयां खेलन्कुतूहलरसात्मना । तमारुह्य महीपालो वनं प्रति विवेश ह
Once, while enjoying the hunt, filled with curiosity and excitement, the king mounted his horse and entered the forest.
विसृज्य सैनिकान्पृष्टे धावतः परितोऽखिलान् । आकृष्यमाणो हरिणैः पिपासाकुलितोऽभवत्
Leaving his soldiers behind, who were running all around, he was drawn after the deer and became overwhelmed by thirst.
तत उत्तीर्य तुरगाज्जलमन्वेषयन् नृपः । बध्वाश्वं तरुशाखायामारुरोह शिलां नृपः
Then, crossing over, the king sought water for his horse; tying the horse to a tree branch, the king climbed up onto a rock.
गीतापंचदशाध्यायश्लोकार्द्धलिखितं ततः । पातितं मरुता तत्र यत्र खंडे विलोकयत्
There, he saw a half-verse from the fifteenth chapter of the Gītā, written and dropped by the wind, lying on a fragment.
पत्रं वाचयतो राज्ञः श्रुत्वा गीताक्षरावलीम् । ततो मुक्तिपदं लेभे तुरगस्त्वरयाऽपतत्
As the king read the leaf and heard the string of Gītā's words, the horse, in that very moment, attained liberation and fell down swiftly.
ततो ग्रंथिं समाच्छिद्य पल्याणवतार्य च । उत्थापमानस्तुरगो राज्ञा नोत्थितवान्मृतः
Then, untying the knot and lowering him to the ground, though the king tried to raise the horse, he did not rise, for he was dead.
ततः सरभभेरुंडो नृपमाभाष्य सुस्वरम् । दिव्यं विमानमारुह्य जगाम त्रिदशालयम्
Then, a celestial being named Sarabhabheruṇḍa addressed the king in a sweet voice, boarded a divine chariot, and went to the abode of the gods.
ततो गिरिं समारुह्य ददर्शाश्रममुत्तमम् । पुन्नागकदलीचूतनारिकेलसमन्वितम्
Then, ascending the mountain, the king saw an excellent hermitage, adorned with punnāga, banana, mango, and coconut trees.
द्राक्षेक्षुवाटिकापूगनागकेसरचंपकम् । खेलत्करभसारंगं नृत्यत्केकिकुलं नृपः
There were vineyards, sugarcane groves, betel, nāga, kesara, and campaka trees, with playful young elephants and deer, and peacocks dancing in flocks.
प्रणिपत्य द्विजन्मानमुटजाभ्यंतरस्थितम् । पप्रच्छ परया भक्त्या मुक्तसंसारवासनात्
Bowing to the twice-born sage who dwelled within the hut, the king, freed from worldly desires, asked him with deep devotion.
तुरगो निरगात्स्वर्गं हेतुना केन मे वद । इत्याकर्ण्य वचो राज्ञो द्विजन्मा वाचमूचिवान्
"Tell me, by what cause did my horse ascend to heaven?" Hearing the king's words, the twice-born sage replied.
कालेन बहुना प्रेत्य तत्पापात्तुरगोऽभवत् । अथ पंचदशाध्यायश्लोकार्द्धं लिखितं क्वचित्
After a long time, due to a past sin, the horse was born as such; but somewhere, a half-verse from the fifteenth chapter had been written.
ततो वाचयतः श्रुत्वा निरगात्तुरगो दिवम् । ततः समागतैस्तत्र परिवारजनैर्वृतः
Then, as you read and heard it, the horse ascended to heaven; afterward, he was surrounded there by his attendants.
प्रणिपत्य द्विजन्मानं हृष्टरोमा विनिर्गतः । पत्रं तदेव लिखितं गीतापंचदशाक्षरम्
Bowing to the twice-born sage, his hair standing on end, the king departed, taking that very leaf inscribed with the fifteenth chapter of the Gītā.
वाचयन्स महीपालो हर्षसंफुल्ललोचनः । अभिषिच्य निजं पुत्रं मंत्रविन्मंत्रिभिः समम्
The king, his eyes blossoming with joy, recited it; then, together with his ministers and priests, he anointed his own son as king.
सिंहासने सिंहबलं मुक्तिमाप विशुद्धधीः
Having placed his lion-like son on the throne, the pure-minded king attained liberation.
इति श्रीपाद्मे महापुराणे पंचपंचाशत्सहस्रसंहितायामुत्तरखंडे गीतामाहात्म्ये एकोननवत्यधिकशततमोऽध्यायः
Thus, in the glorious Padma Mahāpurāṇa, in the Uttarakhaṇḍa, in the section on the greatness of the Gītā, ends the one hundred and eighty-ninth chapter of the compendium of fifty-five thousand verses.
शिवशर्मोवाच- विष्णुशर्मंस्ततो वैश्यः शरभः सह भार्यया । नीत्वा पूजोपकरणं ययौ श्रीचंडिकालयम्
Śivaśarman said: Then Viṣṇuśarman, the merchant, together with his wife Śarabha, having taken the materials for worship, went to the shrine of Śrī Caṇḍikā.
तत्र तौविधिवत्स्नात्वा सुमनो धूपदीपकैः । आनर्चतुर्भक्तियुक्तौ चंडिकां पुत्रकाम्यया
There, according to the prescribed rites, they bathed and worshipped Candika with flowers, incense, and lamps, motivated by the desire for a son, and with devotion.
श्रद्धया पूजिता ताभ्यां दिनैः सप्तभिरंबिका । उवाच वाचा प्रत्यक्षं भूत्वा विशदमानसा
Ambika, worshipped by them with faith for seven days, spoke directly to them, her mind clear.
पार्वत्युवाच- भो भो वैश्य प्रसन्नास्मि भक्त्या सुदृढया तव । ददामि पुत्रं ते साधो यदर्थे यत्नवानसि
Parvati said: 'O merchant, I am pleased by your firm devotion. I will grant you a son, for which you have made such effort.'
गच्छ त्वं मा विलंबस्व वनमैद्रं च खांडवम् । तत्र तीर्थं महापुण्यमिंद्रप्रस्थाख्यमुत्तमम्
Go, do not delay, to the forest of Indra and Khāṇḍava; there is the supreme holy place called Indraprastha.
निगमोद्बोधकं तत्र तीर्थं निखिलकामदम् । बृहस्पतिकृतं तत्र स्नाहि त्वं सुतवांछया
There is the holy place that awakens the Vedas, granting all desires; created by Bṛhaspati, bathe there with the wish for a son.
भविष्यति सुतस्तात तव स्नानेन तत्र हि । तत्र स्नात्वा मयाप्यंग लब्धः स्कंदः सुरारिहा
There, by bathing, you will indeed have a son; after bathing there, even I obtained Skanda, the destroyer of the gods' enemies.
शिवशर्मोवाच- इत्याकर्ण्य वचो देव्याः पिता मम सहस्त्रिया । अत्राजगाम सत्तीर्थे सस्नौ च सुतवांछया
Śivaśarma said: Hearing the goddess's words, my father, together with his wife, came to that holy place and bathed there, desiring a son.
उपस्करवतीर्धेनूर्द्विजेभ्यः प्रददौ शतम् । देवान्पितॄंश्च संतर्प्य यथाविध्यत्र बुद्धिमान्
He gave a hundred cows, equipped with utensils, to the twice-born; and, wise, he satisfied the gods and ancestors there according to the proper rites.
सप्तरात्रमुषित्वा तु दंपती यतमानसौ । जग्मतुः स्वगृहानिष्टलाभोत्फुल्लमुखांबुजौ
After staying for seven nights, the devoted couple returned to their home, their faces blooming with joy from the fulfillment of their wish.
तस्मिन्नेवाभवद्गर्भो मासि मातुर्ममान्वहम् । व्यतीते नवमे मासि जातोऽहं दशमे शुभे
In that very year, my mother conceived; after nine months had passed, I was born in the auspicious tenth month.